Spain pushed Team USA to their limits in the Men's Olympic Basketball Gold Medal Game. José Calderon, who was injured and could not take part in the game, in fact believes that Spain should have won the match.

On Calderon's personal blog, he was a little coy about the topic, going only so far as to say, "Now is not the time to discuss the referees, injuries, absences..." However, on news site El Mundo, he aired his opinion a little more clearly in the Olympic blog he maintained for the site.

(Please note that this translation is a combination of my rudimentary Spanish knowledge and that of google's translator service)

"This is not the time to speak of officiating, but I think with the FIBA rules we would have won. That is why we are a little annoyed, because we were right there at the finish line and we have just missed out."

Calderon's point regarding the rules does require some consideration though. Did the rule changes and different interpretation of those existing rules by FIBA (to come more in line with NBA rules) give an advantage to the Americans? If you were a conspiracy theorist, would you then take that one step further to ask the question as to whether the rules were changed/interpreted differently by FIBA in order to keep USA Basketball interested in international basketball and continue to send top players to compete?
So, to what rule changes exactly is Calderon referring? There have been no specific rule changes that came into effect prior to the Olympics per se, however there has been a perceived difference in the way the rules have been interpreted by referees, in the eyes of many observers. These differences mainly centre around travelling violations, charge/block calls, carrying violations and continuation on shooting fouls.

Howard Beck of the New York Times: "Winning Olympic gold in Beijing depended partly on Team USA’s ability to cope with the unfamiliar geometry of the international game: a trapezoidal lane, a shallow 3-point arc and a contorted array of driving lanes.
But in two years, the trapezoid will be dead, the arc will be a little deeper and the international game will be a bit closer in style to the N.B.A.’s."

What do you think? Are the changes for the good of the game internationally? Does Calderon have a point in relation to these past Olympics and how they were officiated

I'm a fan of Calderon, but Bull Crap. The Spanish team got beat and they took the loss terribly, whinning at every opportunity. At one point one of them throws a towel on the court while the game was on.

If the officiating had been better, the Spanish team would have recieved several technicals for their antics. Mark Gasol's elbow to Anthony would and should have been a flagrant in my opinion.

The Americans won becuase they had the better team, better players and they beat the Spanish team twice.

I'm a fan of Calderon, but Bull Crap. The Spanish team got beat and the took the loss terribly, whinning at every opportunity. At one point one of them throws a towel on the court while the game was on.

If the officiating had been better, the Spanish team would have recieved several technicals for their antics. Mark Gasol's elbow to Anthony would and should have been a flagrant in my opinion.

The Americans won becuase they had the better team, better players and they beat the Spanish team twice.

Jose, take the loss for what it was, and shut up.

I woudln't say USA was the better team that game. I thought they would of lost had a few calls have gone to spains' way!

Spain is a better team that The United States. The USA is only physicist and talent but on it the basketball is not based only.

Spain plays better, if they had imposed the rules FIBA, Spain had won the game.

Who deny this does not know of basketball....

The American's beat the Spanish team soundly in the first match and beat them again in the final game. The Spanish team team did way to much whinning and complaining the whole game. The showed themselves to be bad loosers.

What calls went the American way versus what call's went the Spanish way?

You should both stop displaying your Spanish heritage and look at the game again. The Americans won, twice, and they deserved to win. The Spanish team played a good game, Fernadez, Rubio, the Gasol's, but they didn't win and the way the game was officiated did not play a factor in who won.

The Americans were the better team there is no doubt about that. They shot the better percentage from the field and the 3pt line and they were clutch Kobe and Wade hitting threes when it matters. Jose Calderon is just pissed off that he lost.

Spain was not the better team, rule changes would not make a difference because the Americans are very skilled and aggressive.

Yeah the reffing was bad they should have called more than two tech fouls on Spain.

Yeah Jose is showing some sour grapes on this one. The US beat them twice, fair and square. theres always calls that determine a game. Its just a fact of basketball.

However....

The US shouldnt get too smug thinking they are all that. They could easily lose the next Olympics or the next Worlds. The fact remains that the rest of the world is catching up or has already caught up.

Do you know that the "Dream Team" (Barcelona, 1992) didn't do the dope test as a condition to participate?
Have you seen how the body of European players change while they are playing in the NBA? How their muscles grow?
Now you know how you get those "supermen" (Dwight, Lebron...)

The referees are really good. They officiate matches of the European league, and they know perfectly the rules. They should have called travelling every time CP took the ball (and the same for the rest of USA players, that is why they threw the towel). They knew that the interior defence USA did was not allowed under FIBA rules (that is why Marc Gasol was angry), etc. But NBA stars don't play if they don't get an special treatment.

If we talk about talent and team play, Spain is better than USA right now. USA is just a band of drugged gorillas.

BTW, NBA rules sucks. That is a show, not a sport. "Who deny this does not know of basketball...." But NBA has the best players in the world, that is why I love that game hehe.

Do you know that the "Dream Team" (Barcelona, 1992) didn't do the dope test as a condition to participate?
Have you seen how the body of European players change while they are playing in the NBA? How their muscles grow?
Now you know how you get those "supermen" (Dwight, Lebron...)

The referees are really good. They officiate matches of the European league, and they know perfectly the rules. They should have called travelling every time CP took the ball (and the same for the rest of USA players, that is why they threw the towel). They knew that the interior defence USA did was not allowed under FIBA rules (that is why Marc Gasol was angry), etc. But NBA stars don't play if they don't get an special treatment.

If we talk about talent and team play, Spain is better than USA right now. USA is just a band of drugged gorillas.

BTW, NBA rules sucks. That is a show, not a sport. "Who deny this does not know of basketball...." But NBA has the best players in the world, that is why I love that game hehe.

why you hatin on the legends of the game
Uhh you workout to get superman....(Dwight, Lebron)
they would have been caught if they were doping
The refs called the game right
CP3 didn't travel do u have eyes
Cp3 will be better than rubio will ever be
Spain is more talented than U.S.A? thats why we see wade and kobe are hittin your face threes and the nasty U.S.A jams
The nba rules don't suck they are for real men
elite athletes want to play with the best athletes thats why they go to the NBA

Honestly, I was wondering why there weren't many calls against US in the final game. Quite a bit of travellin in that final game. Randomly in the others but moreso the Finals. US was the better team obviously, but Calderon can say what he thinks. FIBA and NBA have got their rules mixed together somehow.

However, I do think that USA were gettin favour calls this whole Olympics..